Search

Good morning my friends! It is Friday, the 24th day of June, 2013, and yes, thank God it’s Friday!

I’m going to give you my personal opinion on something. You may not agree and that’s fine, but since this is my blog I get to say it anyway.

I think the internet has made a bunch of good writers poor writers.

There, I’ve said it. Now let me explain. Sites like HubPages, or for that matter blogs, or for that matter places where you can publish ebooks, have made it too easy for anyone to be a “writer.” People go on HubPages, craft the perfect SEO article, start making $30 per month, which builds to $100 per month, and onward and upward, and they tend to forget that writing is a craft.

The same can be said for ebooks. It does not take a whole lot of ability to write an ebook. I could write one this afternoon and have it published by this evening, but does that make me a good writer or just a writer who is in a hurry?

I have concerns that the simplicity of getting published online has made many writers lazy and I think that is a shame. It falls under the same category as “anyone can draw a picture.” True that, but not everybody can be an artist. J

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“There is no royal path to good writing; and such paths as do exist do not lead through neat critical gardens, various as they are, but through the jungles of self, the world, and of craft.”~Jessamyn West, Saturday Review, 21 September 1957

The royal path of good writing….does not exist! I love it! Seriously, writing is not easy. I have read numerous accounts of authors…famous authors…who rewrote their novels five, six, and seven times trying to get it just right. Maybe that’s why they are famous, yes?

Writing should be blood, sweat and tears….just sayin’.

PROMPT OF THE DAY

This one is from…..oh, heck, who cares where it’s from. What does it do for you?

TIP OF THE DAY

Invent your own superlatives. Seriously, there are some writers who fall in love with a superlative like “incredible” and then use it in every single one of their articles. I know because I was that writer. LOL

Make up your own superlatives and that way you will never be stale. What do I mean? Instead of saying…..that soccer match was incredible, try saying……eye-poppin’ great or….blow your panties off exciting…..your readers will appreciate the extra effort you put into that new phrase.

SITE OF THE DAY

From WritesNet comes their mystery writers forum, which you can find here. If you enjoy writing mysteries and/or suspense stories and novels, then you might consider hanging out with other writers who enjoy the same genre. Join in on the discussions and network at the same time.

THAT’S IT FOR THIS WEEK

Seriously, I’m tired, so it’s time to call it a week. I am going to do zero writing this weekend and I’m proud of it. By Friday noon my brain has officially shut down and I need some rest and relaxation. I hope all of you do the same.

I just noticed we passed 1,000 views for the first month of this blog. I don’t know if that’s good or bad, but it’s a nice number to mention. J

18 Responses to “Writing Should Not Be Simple”

The internet has made it possible for anyone to becomes writer but you still have to write stuff worth reader’s time:). I think a thousand views is INCREDIBLE or should I say, “crap my pants exciting?!!!!” Hahaha That’s GREAT Bill!

Yes, it’s become too easy to publish with he internet and ebooks so that was a worthy reminder that writing is still a craft, one that I know I have to constantly remind myself. Enjoy your weekend and Congrats on 1,000 views!

Hi Bill–was it on your site that I read about writers needing time for their craft to mature before publication? Anyway this post reminds me yet again that I have much to learn—Have a great weekend and congrats on your views!!

I love the “who cares where this picture is from” line. haha.
I agree: I downloaded an ebook a few weeks ago and oh my, I couldn’t believe the typos and the insanity that went into it…I couldn’t even finish it. And it was on a good topic, too.
And congrats on the 1,000 views. 🙂

Thanks lil’ Sis! Sheez, I can’t keep my pictures straight….just write about it and don’t worry where it came from. LOL As for ebooks….people have to take a little pride in what they are doing or what’s the point?

Bill, I agree with you….mostly. Yes, it is way too easy for people to write things online these days and call themselves writers. In fact, just last weekend a friend of mine told me that her brother had a new writing job. Someone without any writing experience. He’d be doing a lot of SEO work, and a bit of writing. I was quite annoyed to say the least, since I can’t seem to get anyone to hire me as a writer for their company. But that’s fine…after everything last week, I’ve made the choice to trust myself more and have faith more. My time will come. So yes, lots of people claim to be writers who whip out a quick SEO stuffed article or another boring eBook and say they’re published. They’re not real writers, but that’s life these days unfortunately. Major competition. As far as publishing goes, I’m new to the whole eBook field, and yes, my eBook only took me 2 weeks to write and a couple more to proof read, edit, and format. But I’m proud of my book. I know it’s something I’m passionate about and a message that I want to spread. I didn’t write it for the same of money. (Although that would be lovely). But I am grateful for the opportunity to get work out there for people to read online. I’m still aiming to get a book or two published in hard copy, but I’m building up as I go. I’m not in a rush to do that. It will happen. I think the difference between being a good writer and just a writer is whether you write from your heart, or whether you’re simply just writing to pay the bills. Hope you’re having a fantastic weekend. 🙂 it’s rainy this side of the world, and I’m about to curl up on the couch and catch up on my favourite series.

I love your description of a real writer. Heck, Mel, anyone can write SEO…it’s like a “fill in the blanks” puzzle…use the right keywords and put them in a sentence and you are a good SEO writer….but that is not writing and never will be. I’m somewhat of a snob when it comes to this subject and I’m fine with that. LOL